Q-CELLS

The Japanese nuclear nightmare prompted more selling on the world’s stock markets today, after the Nikkei 225 index on the Tokyo exchange closed down 10.56% today (Tuesday). In Germany, the government announced today it will shut down seven of the country's oldest nuclear reactors for three months as part of a safety review.

Solar power component companies roared back to the top of the heap this week, with the EnergyBoom Solar Subindex (E•B Solar) increasing 7.91 percent and the Guggenheim Solar ETF (TAN) increasing 6.38 percent, beating all other green tech sectors and the broader markets.

Most green sector stock market indicators, including all five EnergyBoom indices, trounced the broader markets in the United States and overseas this week. The best performance was turned in by the EnergyBoom Solar Subindex (E•B Solar) which increased 5.28 percent.

Two fuel cell companies were among the six top performers in the EnergyBoom Clean 100 Index (E•B Clean 100) over the five trading days leading up to the Christmas break. 

Shares of FuelCell Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCEL) were up 28.7 percent (down 44.5 percent year to date) and shares of Ballard Power Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: BLDP) were up 14.5 percent (down 16 percent YTD).

EnergyBoom’s Biofuel subindex (E•B Biofuel) increased 5.68 percent this week to beat the broad market indices and other green sector indices. 

The subindex was led by Verenium Corporation (NASDAQ: VRNM) which increased 15.55 percent (-15.78 percent year-to-date) and Amyris, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMRS), which was up 12.56 percent (+43.62 percent since its initial public offering in late September).